Does it hurt not to know?
by TealEyedBeing
Summary: Will this make much sense? Probably not. Wally just wants everyone to be happy- Connor, Dick, and Kaldur. There's no accurate way to describe it. Warnings/Disclaimer inside. I don't even know what this is...


_**Warnings/Disclaimer: **__I do not own Young Justice or any of its characters. Warnings include character death, (yaoi)BL-implications/mentions, and an abstract-ish writing style, may or may not even make sense. I'm not really sure what this is, actually… It was originally inspired by a really cute picture of Kid Flash and Superboy on tumblr, but then this came out….? I don't even know. Um, Happy New Year?_

* * *

**~x~**

**Does it hurt not to know?**

**~x~**

Wally has this thing where he likes to wrap himself around Connor. The clone's all hard muscle; taller, broader, stronger. All the -er's, except faster. Everything else, that's the feeling Wally loves experiencing each and every time he coils his arms around Connor's ribs and wraps legs around strong hips. Surprisingly, the prickly ebony lets him whenever he wants to cling like a briar. He's strong enough, complacent enough, to just keep doing whatever it was he was doing before Wally becomes a limpet. It's awe-inspiring, and more than a little bit sexy.

Wally also loves wrapping around Robin and Kaldur.

When Wally wraps around Robin, he completely envelops the younger boy. Wally's taller, stronger, faster. All the -er's except smarter. He eclipses Dick's smaller body with his own, hides him from the world and gives him every ounce of attention he possesses. Because Dick craves that, deserves it, needs it.

Wrapping around Kaldur is similar to being Connor's limpet, but softer, cooler. Same hard muscles, but a bit more give when he squeezes. The gills on his neck flutter when Wally kisses them, and they tickle his lips. The webs between his fingers feel bizarre and wonderful, so smooth and delicate, like the shivers Kaldur gives when he does it. Kaldur needs this love, deserves it just as much as Connor and Dick crave it.

Wally's happy, so very happy to be what they need, to supply what they crave. So joyous that they let him give them his love, his protection, his comfort, despite all his speedy freckled faults. He's not strong like Connor, or smart like Dick, or exotic like Kaldur. He's just fast, and freckly, and huggy. And they're okay with that, which makes it okay for him.

**~x~**

Wally extended one leg out all the way, hooking his ankle around Connor's hip and using the foothold to drag himself over the couch cushions to complete his full-body hug. Connor automatically lifted his arm at the speedster's presence on his side, allowing Wally ample room to slide both arms around those invincible ribs and finish hooking his legs around a sturdy waist. Wally nuzzled into the shoulder leveled at his face, ignoring the way his goggles pressed into his forehead. Connor's thick arm settled back down across his back, and Wally was happy. Connor never said so, but he loved the redhead's hugs. He never pushed Wally away, never denied him. That was how he showed his love. Wally could tell.

The speedster sighed contentedly, sinking his teeth into his bottom lip. He would miss this dearly, when Connor realized M'gann was the one for him. M'gann would be the one to wrap around him like this from then on. It was only a matter of time, they were good for each other. Not like Wally, who could only provide silent comfort and companionship. It wasn't enough, Connor deserved more.

**~x~**

Wally brushed Dick's bangs to the side, so the tips weren't tickling the ebony's eyelids as the boy slept against Wally's chest. His little bird, the youngest, most experienced, so mature. Already realizing he liked Zatanna more than a cool friend, that she could be his special someone. Wally was the best friend, always there and nothing more. Richard Grayson deserved the exotic normalacy that came with dating a female magician and not the years worth of perfection provided by a best friend. They were set in their ways, it couldn't be changed to add in anything more without a strain.

Wally thought he would miss Dick most of all.

**~x~**

Kaldur left him first, letting Wally give him one last hug to remember him by. Artemis was beautiful, tough, wiry. Not like Tula, who was soft in other ways. She desired him, and didn't shy away or hide it. She appealed to him, after Tula had hid from him. So Wally let go, beamed brightly, and waved. They were brilliant for each other, her ire tempered by his water. What goes better together?

**~x~**

Wally tried counting his freckles in the mirror but lost count when a few started overlapping and he couldn't tell if it was one or two or three. Connor once told him there were one hundred and seventy-four freckles. Dick teased and called them angel kisses. Kaldur said they made him look like Wally.

Wally thought they made him look freckly and... Nevermind, just freckly.

**~x~**

Wally got a cold. It made everyone concerned, because speedsters don't easily get sick. Wally's speed was going wonky, not working sometimes and not stopping at others. He couldn't speed up, or couldn't slow down. He was confined to bedrest and tests, and his team gathered round and worried together. They held hands with their partners.

Wally beamed and babbled and asked Connor if he really did have that many freckles, which Dick corrected to angel kisses, where Kaldur fondly sighed his name. M'gann and Zatanna and Artemis all smiled at him for making their boys happy.

Wally started coughing and he couldn't stop. Superman had to be called to remove Superboy from the room once nobody else could budge the clone. The speedster slept for a long time after that, curled up on his side to breathe better and dreaming of wrapping paper; themes of black, red, yellow and blue.

He got better, just like he said he would, but he couldn't run anymore. Not like he used to. His lungs hurt too much to keep breathing if he tried going over 60mph. He knew he'd forget and overextert himself, didn't want his family or friends to suffer through this again. The box he folded up his costume into was plain, ordinary, had a few dark spots on it. Speckled, like his freckles.

His team was upset, wanting him to come back, keep running, they would protect him. Nah, he insisted, I'd only be a burden, he said. Besides, you've got each other now, right? Don't worry about me, I'll be fine. Better actually, it'll be safer. No more supervillians to hurt him. Just highschool english tests.

Uncle Barry helped all he could, but Wally only hugged his uncle and said it was okay that he wasn't good enough, only that he was sorry. Wally's lungs hurt in an entirely different way, when Flash's strong arms held him tight.

So Wally studied, became a chemistry major, graduated high school. Dick grew up beautifully, graduated from baby bird to predator. Connor flew. Kaldur thrived.

Wally was so happy he could die. Uncle Barry did instead.

The world needed their heroes to save them, and because of that Wally damned them. He cursed and he screamed and he cried because his Uncle Barry was gone, sacrificed to save the bloody planet from a man of the future. Professor Zoom, the anti-Flash who slowed time.

Wally's grief soured him, made his powers pulse and thrive when something happened one day he could barely remember. He was faster now, faster than he was ever before. He didn't deserved Uncle Barry's mantle, never wanted to step into his Day-Glo yellow boots. But the goddamn world needed their superheroes...

Wally was the Flash now, experienced by his grief. He never stopped mourning for Barry Allen, the man who taught him all the important things and more, tried to be someone who could make him proud.

He was in the Justice League, helped Dick whenever he could, was friendly to the new young generation of heroes, grieved when Connor and M'gann went their separate ways. Kaldur and Artemis went deep undercover, he hadn't seen them in a long time.

Connor asked him once while they were resting together, if he still had his freckles. Wally laughed and said angels didn't kiss him anymore. So Connor did instead.


End file.
